At St Mark’s and St Mary Magdalen’s, the Alpha course is central to our pastoral strategy for the renewal and life of the parishes. Alpha encourages us to be missionary disciples, outward looking, inviting others to come and meet Jesus in the fullness of our Catholic faith. It is hoped that everyone in the parish will have the opportunity to participate in at least one Alpha course over the next three years and all are encouraged to actively invite non-Christians and lapsed Catholic friends and neighbours to attend a course.
Alpha covers the fundamental basics of Christian belief including the existence of God, who Jesus is, how Jesus saves us, God as a Trinity of persons, the role of the Holy Spirit, and the life of the Christian.
Preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion - requires this foundational knowledge, and thus anyone preparing for these sacraments will ordinarily be expected to participate in the Alpha course. In the case of children or young people preparing for First Holy Communion or Confirmation, the expectation is that one or more parents or guardians complete the Alpha course. This is for two reasons; firstly, as the primary educators of their children in the faith, it is imperative that parents have a firm grasp of what is to be taught to their children and secondly it reinforces the idea that faith is shared within a family, and demonstrates a shared commitment between parent and child in preparation for the sacraments.
Alpha and the Catholic Church
The Alpha Course started from within the Anglican tradition at the Church of Holy Trinity Brompton in London in 1977. It has since been translated into over 100 languages and is run by various Christian communities and churches around the world, including the Catholic church.
In his 2013 letter Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis stressed “the fundamental role of the first announcement or kerygma, which needs to be the centre of all evangelising activity and all efforts at Church renewal” (para 164).
The kerygma is the basic proclamation of the gospel, it is Catholic to say Jesus has saved me, Jesus is risen from the dead and alive and Jesus sends his Holy Spirit.
The Alpha course is not a complete Catechesis on the Catholic faith, nor is it designed to be. Rather it is a presentation of the basic gospel message which gives space for people to reflect, learn and remind themselves of what it means to believe in God, and know that Jesus has come to save us. The Alpha course is, then, thoroughly Catholic at its core and it is a well-established tool, used successfully by Catholic parishes and other Christians across the world for doing exactly what Pope Francis is advocating – introducing people to the person of Jesus Christ and helping them develop a personal relationship with him through the power of the Holy Spirit.
It is centred on welcome and hospitality - sharing and prayer. Each session includes a meal, a talk and small group discussion, where no question is too simple.
Although used by many Christians, the Alpha course features input from Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, uses illustrations from the lives of Saints Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Maximilian Kolbe as well as drawing on quotes from Pope St John Paul II and Pope Francis.
Our parish priest, Fr Luke Goymour, has participated in several Alpha courses and has previously run Alpha at St John the Baptist Catholic Cathedral Norwich, as well as at St Mark’s and St Mary Magdalen Ipswich. As part of the renewal of the parish, Alpha in a Catholic context is key to his pastoral strategy and vision.
There will be a further Alpha course starting on Wednesday 30th April 2025. This will be held in St Mark's church hall, 180 Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich, IP2 0QQ at 7:30pm, and weekly thereafter. The full dates of all these sessions can be found here in the parish calendar. If you are interested in finding out more about Christianity, exploring your faith further, or looking for a spiritual boost in your life, then why not come along and explore Alpha for yourself
If you would like to find out more about Alpha, or would like to register your interest in joining our next course, please [javascript protected email address] us with your details and we will get back to you nearer the time, or you can click here to watch a short introductory video about the Alpha course.
